Expoetriate

This started with a question, why do we love revenge movies, the “one man against the world” kind? What came out of it was a crazed search through cultures of honor, institutional distrust, and moral licensing research to understand the mass appeal and disdain I noticed towards the most compelling revenge stories I have encountered over the past decade. In truth, this took much longer than expected, thus the reason for the hiatus, but it feels good to be back.

This episode contains mature themes and graphic depictions of violence, viewer discretion is advised.

Full bibliography ⁠here⁠.

Referenced articles:

Bailey & Pico (2023)

Brosig-Koch et al. (2017)

Cohen et al. (1996)

Conway & Peetz (2012)

Højberg et al. (2017)

Katyal (2022)

Khalil (2017)

Kirk & Schill (2024)

Kowal (2023)

Martin-Llaguno et al. (2022)

Monin & Miller (2001)

Park et al. (2020)

Peleg et al. (2021)

Uskul & Cross (2020)

Uskul et al. (2023)

Referenced media:

God of War (2005)

God of War 2 (2007)

John Wick (2014)

John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017)

Monkey Man (2024)

Nobody (2021)

Oldboy (2004)

Pierre Berton Show (1971)

Prisoners (2013)

Sifu (2022)

The Batman (2022)

The Last of Us Part 2 (2020)

Images:

By Mbzt - Own work, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=16931676

By Istanbul Archaeology Museums - Own work, CC0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=34550484

Bungie. (2024, June 11). Halo: Reach [Digital image]. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halo:_Reach

Haloprov. (n.d.). B312 [Digital image]. Halo Alpha. https://halo.fandom.com/wiki/SPARTAN-B312?file=B312.png

Music:

Hussain, Z. & Patel, D. (2024). Training [Song]. On Monkey Man (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack). Back Lot Music.

James, S. (2012). Through the Valley [Song]. On Shadows. Shawn James Music Inc.

Background music sourced from Epidemic Sound:

“Sahara Eye” by Nylonia

“Corpus” by Johannes Bornlof

“Tranquility” by Drift Far Away

“Juliana” by Nylonia

“Ghost Hunt” by Sixteen Wheelers

Also available on YouTube

Chapters

00:00 Content Warning and Disclaimers

00:37 Introduction

02:48 The Batman

06:59 What does violence do for us? (The Wolverine Effect)

12:55 Prisoners

17:20 Cultures of Honor research

24:01 Institutional distrust research

27:17 Do moral reputation and victimhood justify our actions? (The Last of Us)

32:09 Moral licensing research

38:50 Proposed directions/The big reach

41:30 Outro

Discussing the ill-advised use of superpowers to describe mental health, and the one exception to the rule – calling attention to the cases of DID and anxiety – while building a TKD Cycle 7.

Written, recorded and edited by Syafiq.

Referenced media:

Glass (2019)

Moon Knight (2022)

Doctor Who (2012 & 2014)

Build specs:

TKD Cycle 7 Fog with Gunmetal PVD Mirror Polish backweight

SP-Star Meteor Whites

XVXX Concrete keycaps

Equalz V3 Stabilisers

Aluminum Plate

Gasket bean-mounted

No foam

Also on YouTube

Discussing Ted Chiang’s catalogue, David Hilbert and Arthur Schopenhauer while lubing 80 SP-Star Meteor White switches with Krytox GPL 205g0 and 105, and filming with Kelowna 0.33mm switch films.

Voiceover for “Story of Your Life” sourced with the permission of the talented Magnetar.

Inspired by Dan Olson’s (Folding Ideas) “I Can't Stop Watching Contagion.”

Video footage taken by Abdul Hafiz

Referenced works:

The Story of Your Life and Others by Ted Chiang

Exhalation by Ted Chiang

“Arrival” dir. Denis VIllenueve

“Wayfaring Stranger” by Ashley Johnson and Troy Baker

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction, Ted Chiang

00:58 Story of Your Life

07:59 Tower of Babylon

09:03 The Great Silence

10:32 Exhalation

14:00 What’s Expected of Us

15:38 Division By Zero

25:39 We have no choice

Also on YouTube

Death often dances along the coastline, giving her best performances in Park Chan Wook's Decision to Leave and Viking literature. In this essay, I compare Norse eschatology to the sexual differentiation of the human gonad, detail my disdain for humid climates, and list the three most frequent questions that psychology majors are asked.

Viewer discretion is advised.

This production is for personal commentary and discussion of the mentioned subjects. I do not own the rights to the clips used; they belong to their respective holders, and I will not be monetising this work.

Works featured (Visual): 

The Golden Girls

“The Rickchurian Mortydate” Rick and Morty (S3 E10) 

Decision to Leave dir. Park Chan Wook

Before We Go dir. Chris Evans

Thor Ragnarok dir. Taika Waititi

Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice dev. Ninja Theory

“The Body” Buffy the Vampire Slayer (S5 E16) 

“New Morning Routine Just Dropped” TMG Podcast Episode 290 (42:58 - 43:11)

Works featured (Audio): 

“Storm at Sea” comp(s). Robin Carolan and Sebastian Gainsborough (From The Northman OST)

“Brandy (You’re a Fine Girl)” by Looking Glass

“Savior” by Kendrick Lamar

“Sloom” by Of Monsters and Men

Background music sourced from Epidemic Sound: 

“Face Your Fears” by Vendla

“Notes to Self” by Gavin Luke

“A Hard Truth” by Wanderer's Trove

Camus' absurdism as it relates to my favourite films and the process of REBT. Viewer discretion is advised.

This production is for personal commentary and critique of the subjects in discussion. I do not own the rights to the clips used, they belong to their respective holders, and will not be monetising this work.

Spoilers for Dune, Tenet, Collateral Beauty, Rick and Morty and Everything Everywhere All At Once.

Additional voiceovers done by Mazeen Muneez.

https://www.homestudio.com.sg/english-male-voice-talents

Syafiq and Hussein talk role models and the transition between subculture pockets and the "real world". Music sourced from Epidemic Sound. Warning: Brief mentions of suicide.

Featuring a new guest, Hussein Malek, this episode we delve into integrity; that within journalism, and our development as individuals under parental guidance. Music provided by Epidemic Sound. Viewer discretion is advised. Contains spoilers for Tenet.

Syafiq and Andrés discuss various proponents of faith, and the role it has under the premises of the modern world. Viewer discretion is advised.

Spanning culture, the arts, and philosophy, featuring Andrés Siblesz.